A nice and healthy vegetable soup to enjoy on a cold day. Adding leftover turkey would be a nice touch. This recipe is from USA Weekend.

• One 15.5-ounce can cannellini or other small white beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1/2  large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, diced (about ½ cup)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
• 1 small zucchini (about ½ pound), diced (about 1½ cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
• 1 Tb. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
• 2 tsps. chopped fresh sage or ½ tsp. dried
• 1/2  tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4  tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• One 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups lightly packed), chopped
• 1/3 cup freshly grated 1/3 Parmesan cheese (optional

In a small bowl, mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves; cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with the Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 6

This delicious dish is from the cookbook Cooking from the Farmer’s Market.

• 1 pound pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) chicken broth
• 2 bunches kale (preferably dinosaur kale), stems removed and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ pound linguica-style sausage (I used chicken sausage), sliced 1/2  inch thick
• 1 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, kale, and a pinch of salt, Raise the heat to high, cover the pan, and cook until the kale begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Remove the cover and add the sausage. Continue cooking until the leaves are tender and the liquid has evaporated, 3-4 minutes more. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Add the pasta to the kale and stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pasta water to moisten the mixture, adding more if needed.

Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and sprinkle with the cheese. Serve right away.

Serves 6-8

The peppery taste of the arugula with the sweetness of the pears and the crunch of sunflower seeds is delicious. This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens.

• 2 
red Bartlett pears
• 12 
cups arugula (about 8 oz.)
• 1/3
cup dry roasted, salted sunflower kernels
• 2
ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
• Shredded lemon Peel (optional)

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon lemon peel
• 1/3
cup lemon juice
• 1 
teaspoon sugar
• 1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4
cup extra virgin olive oil

For vinaigrette: In bowl combine lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar, and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in olive oil. I like to put this into a dressing bottle.

Transfer 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette dressing to large bowl. Quarter, core, and seed pears. Cut each quarter in thin slices; add to dressing in bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Add arugula to pears; toss lightly to coat. Transfer to serving platter. Top with sunflower kernels, Parmesan, and lemon peel. Serve with remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinaigrette up to 1 week.

Makes 8 servings

This is a great recipe hot or cold. It’s one I took from Heidi Swanson’s new book Super Natural Everyday: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen. She suggests a blend of whole wheat pastas or even spinach pasta to make it light and fresh.

• 2 medium-large zucchini or yellow summer squash, coarsely grated
• Fine-grain sea salt
• 4 ounces whole wheat linguine or other thin pasta
• 4 ounces durum wheat linguine or other thin pasta
• 2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbls unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with a few generous pinches of salt, and let sit over a bowl or in the sink for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in separate pots or sequentially. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the linguine, and cook according to the package directions, or until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little cooking water.

Just before you are ready to eat, heat the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and the garlic just begins to brown. Squeeze the zucchini between your hands, over the sink, to eliminate any excess liquid and add to the skillet. Cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Add the pasta to the pan and add a little cooking water if the zucchini mixture seems on the dry side. Toss to distribute the zucchini throughout the pasta. Add the butter and cheese and toss again.

Season with salt and black pepper and divide among bowls. Top with more cheese if you like.

Serves 2 -4

This is a great basic vegetable soup. Get creative -  add some pasta, crusty bread or cheese to it to give it a different punch.

• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• stalk of celery
• Bag of Carrots
• 2 cups poatos
• 2 cups broccoli
• 2 cups zucchini
• 1 16 oz of tomato paste
• 10 cups of Vegetable broth
• 2 14oz cans of White Kidney beans
• 5 garlic cloves - crushed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

In your largest thick-bottomed pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, garlic, carrot, potato and onion. Cook for 10 -15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid any browning.   Add the 10 cups of vegetable broth along with the can of tomato paste  and two cans of beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and add the zucchini and broccoli simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped olives or some Parmesan cheese.

Prep time: 20min - Cook time: 60 min

Serves: 10

I doubled up on the breadcrumbs here. Because who doesn’t like a bit of extra crunch? That is reflected in the recipe below. And for those of you without access to pecorino, freshly grated Parmesan would be a reasonable substitute.

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
• 2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
• 1/2 garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
• 1/4 (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus additional for garnish
• 3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
• Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4 inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the m ixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortor an pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves) let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

If you use powered garlic use a simple dehydrated garlic that has been ground. It has a harsher flavor than most fresh garlic you’ll encounter, and the fragrance it puts off is different as well. Feel free to toss in a few fresh cloves (chopped) in its place if you prefer. In that scenario add the fresh garlic just before the chard.

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